Stockton recyclers ready for influx

Thursday

Dec 25, 2008 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - The transition to all-digital television in February - and the likelihood of new flat screens under many Christmas trees - has electronics recyclers reminding the public with added urgency to properly dispose of their old TVs.

Alex Breitler

STOCKTON - The transition to all-digital television in February - and the likelihood of new flat screens under many Christmas trees - has electronics recyclers reminding the public with added urgency to properly dispose of their old TVs.

The week between Christmas and New Year's always is a big one for electronics collectors and recyclers.

"We think even more people will be trying to get rid of their old televisions because of the conversion," said Sally Wooden, a spokeswoman for Goodwill Industries in Stockton, which accepts electronics free of charge and ships them to a recycler in Fresno.

By Feb. 17, most broadcast television stations must switch from analog to digital; without a converter box, older TVs will not work. This could tempt many people to improperly dump those old dinosaurs, warns the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a group of environmental and health groups.

The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that 99 million unused TVs sit in storage in closets or basements across the country; the coalition estimates that tens of millions will be discarded in the near future.

San Joaquin County and its official e-waste recycler, Stockton-based Onsite Electronics, are planning collection events throughout the county in January and February.

Janice Oldemeyer, president at Onsite, said her company expects more electronics as people prepare for the digital transition.

"We're gearing up for it, but it really is hard to say" how significant the impact will be, she said.

Since flat screens have dropped in price, people might prefer to buy brand-new TVs rather than purchase the converters.

Then again, Oldemeyer said, the economy is sour and people might be less likely to make such major purchases.

These things are certain: Older TVs, equipped with cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead and, sooner or later, are likely to end up in our landfills or be shipped off to third-world countries by unscrupulous "recyclers." The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in August that while more Americans are recycling old electronics, some companies are merely exporting the toxins elsewhere.

That's why it's important to be sure that whatever you do with your old television, it goes to a reputable recycler. The coalition keeps a list of some of these recyclers on its Web site: www.takebackmytv.com.